3 August 2017

A Visit To Arundel Castle, West Sussex

Day trips to new places are what drives me to work harder - it's a reward to be able to take a midweek break Wednesday and go to explore some beautiful place whether it's round the corner of a few hours drive. A little while ago, Heidi and I visited Arundel Castle because we wanted to take some beautiful photos for Instagram and also tick another place off our list of relatively local attractions.

Arundel Castle was built in West Sussex, and is a historical castle with beautiful gardens and a chapel. I was surprised at how much there is to do in the castle grounds especially on a sunny day, our 2 hour trip turned into a whole day!

We visited Arundel Castle during the tulip festival which was beautiful - I feel like there were hundreds of different types of tulip dotted around the grounds! But there are many events which take place - find them on the Arundel Castle website. And when the weather is sunny, it's really worth going for a picnic in the scenic grounds. Just bring a picnic blanket, snacks, and drinks - for inspiration read my blog post all about our picnic at Arundel Castle.

There are several gardens which are full of gorgeous flowers and tropical plants - I really enjoyed walking around them and smelling the fresh air, sitting down on benches, and taking in the scenery. You know a lot of people who visit my Instagram account are surprised by how much beauty there is around the area we live in - it's easy to dismiss the UK as a holiday destination because we're aiming for Thailand, Australia, Italy, etc for beautiful scenery and experiences, but trust me sometimes beauty is a short drive away from home.

One of my favourite parts of Arundel Castle have been the main gardens - a home to many flowers, plants, fountains, and streams. Full of gorgeous colours and incredible architecture this is an Instagrammers heaven! And also a pretty peaceful place if you go during the week rather than a weekend when I can imagine it gets pretty packed.

I love wandering around new places - there is so much to be discovered. Because of my travel anxiety, and a plane phobia which is a totally separate post I will write when I can bring myself to, I need to find beauty in places that are easily accessible. That's not to say I don't travel outside of England, and my anxiety will never stop me from going somewhere I want to go - all it means is that I need to find ways of travelling that don't give me PTSD and nightmares after! In fact, I'm even more motivated now to carry on travelling and going on adventures because someone close to me threw my travel anxiety in my face earlier this week, and it was unpleasant to say the least.

We're all different, we all have our little quirks, and trust me no one on this planet is perfect. Which is why I detest it when people try and use our 'quirks' against us. And when someone hits out at your quirks, my reaction is immediately to prove them wrong, and show them that I'll achieve everything I want to - just in my own time, in a way I feel comfortable with, and with people who are willing to take the time to come with me on my adventures.

And in between longer trips to Spain, Scotland, Wales, and France / Ireland (next on my list!) I really love going on smaller trips with my travel buddy, Heidi. We're both freelance, we both work our asses off for the brands we work with, and sometimes a midweek break calls for a trip somewhere new and exciting.

The other place that I urge you to visit is the Fitzalan Chapel - it's absolutely stunning. Wherever I go I just have to visit the cathedrals and chapels because the architecture is incredible and the art is beautiful. There's also something very peaceful about being in places of worship - I guess everyone is quiet and respectful of each other, everyone moves very slow and gentle, and this affects the aura of the building. Stunning, the whole experience.

There are many beautiful cathedrals dotted around England, but Fitzalan Chapel has really stood out for me as an architecturally beautiful place. And in front of it is a garden full of white tulips which looks incredible too!

Have I inspired your next trip to be Arundel Castle in West Sussex? Highly recommended! It's the perfect family day out - there were many kids running around the grounds whilst their parents enjoyed picnics, and there is so much to explore! We didn't explore much of Arundel as we had to go home for the evening, but it looks like the town has some nice pubs and shops to explore too. We'll definitely be back!